super sized

[Biciclista]

Just got back from California where it was warm enough that some of us wanted icecream. We went into an icecream joint and I asked for what I always asked for. A single scoop on a sugar cone. To my horror, she started making a grapefruit sized ball of ice cream to put on my cone. NO! i said, I want HALF that! she said, well, this is what you paid for. I continued pleading with her and finally she started to listen and gave me a more reasonably sized portion. Meanwhile, others in the party had ordered 2 scoops or 1 scoop and they were rewarded with immense amounts of icecream.
I was horrified. (and so were some of them)

The very next day we were in Old Folsom, at a really good candy/ice cream store. I saw they had a "child's cone" listed above the single and double scoops. That's what I ordered. It was the right size.

What do you guys do about the huge portions that we are served at food establishments?

[papaver]

I really dislike it. Whenever I visit the States it's exactly that what freaks me out. How can you enjoy your food like that? Small portions: more pleasure!

With huge portions like that you always eat too much. No wonder there is so much obesity in our Western world... :o

[Thorn]

Just read this....

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/07/study-finds-1-in-5-obese-_n_183955.html

We are an obese nation. Sizes are large for large people; the portion sizes make people large....a vicious circle. I agree with you, request smaller portions....maybe, just maybe that small voice will be heard, but I doubt it.

[Grog]

What do you guys do about the huge portions that we are served at food establishments?

I sometimes ask for half the fries, for example. I get funny looks, so usually I preface my request with: "I know I paid for more, but I would like to have just..." and usually they are understanding. I do that for coffee, too. If I give them my travel mug, they fill it all. No way I'll drink all of that.

I almost never go to Starbucks but once or twice a year I'll end up getting something there. I ask for a "short." It's not on the menu but you can get it, and it's actually programmed in their cash register, for nearly all drinks (except the frozen ones). It's - to me - a "normal size" coffee, about 8 oz.

[Biciclista]

I almost never go to Starbucks but once or twice a year I'll end up getting something there. I ask for a "short." It's not on the menu but you can get it, and it's actually programmed in their cash register, for nearly all drinks (except the frozen ones). It's - to me - a "normal size" coffee, about 8 oz.

haha, me too. They ask me what size and I say "small" and they say you want a grande (or whatever) and I say, no I want a small one!

[Zen]

I ordered a small ice cream from McDonalds.and was told they only have one size.

I pinched off the top half of Mr.Softee and dropped it in the gutter (drive thru)

[Flybye]

I ordered a small ice cream from McDonalds.and was told they only have one size.

I pinched off the top half of Mr.Softee and dropped it in the gutter (drive thru)

That is great - I can almost hear the thought process in your head "you SAY you don't have a small - WELL TAKE THAT!!!"
:cool::cool:
It isn't like they CAN'T stop the ice cream machine to make a small, it is that they WON'T.:rolleyes:

[Biciclista]

and honestly, in this profit driven economy; why are they giving us such huge portions?!??!

[Aggie_Ama]

I love this local burger place, the owners are always there but since I started losing weight I have very little appetite. They only offer a huge burger and for the price ($9 for burger/fries/drink) I can't stand to throw away half the burger. They won't sell kids burgers to adults so we stopped going because DH eats too much too much to split and they aren't something I will eat re-heated. They lost regular customers over it. :(

If we go somewhere I always order a half or child's portion or get a to go box. I can't eat that much, I don't need that much and I don't like throwing away perfectly good food.

[OakLeaf]

I confess, I eat too much. :rolleyes: So I'm not often in that situation. (But since my weight's stable and within 5# of what I'd like it to be, I don't stress about it too much.)

I don't eat fast food. And I don't do well with anything frozen, so melting ice cream isn't an issue. (Chinese medicine has an explanation for that, but I don't know the details.)

But, among non-frozen things, IMO if it's not good enough to take some of it home, it's not good enough to order in the first place. So it's only usually an issue when we're traveling and don't have a refrigerator or microwave in the room.

DH and I were eating "tapas" before tapas was fashionable. A salad each and three appetizers to share is usually plenty (more appetizers if we're not each getting a salad). Besides, even in the best restaurants, the chefs usually give more attention to appetizers than entrees. So we get the best they have to offer. In a chain restaurant, a salad bar plus an appetizer is plenty.

I did do exactly the same as you, Mimi, recently when I got some movie popcorn. I tend to snack mindlessly at the movies. I ordered a "small" popcorn, looking at the display bags, but it turned out that the size I wanted was "child." The "small" one I'd actually ordered and paid for was ginormous. So I made the worker pour half of it out.

[Triskeliongirl]

My husband and I often just split something. If one entre isn't quite enough to split, we'll order one appetizer and one entre and split them both and it usually plenty of food. Or, I will order an appetizer instead of an entre. Or, we take home leftovers and get another meal out of it.

[Karma007]

Thanks for bringing this up, and I'll try not to rant, but it is a major irritation. I have a fierce sweet tooth with a special affection for anything frosted. If served a large piece of cake, or an entire cake, I will eat it. Last weekend, I wanted cake. Just one, normal sized piece. Not to be had; not at the grocery, or local restaurants. PF Changs would only offer a pice the size of your head (granted, they had the little bite sized parfaits, but doggonit, I wanted cake). It's really insane.

We like to eat out as well, and I avoid bringing leftovers home; I only need the fat and calories at one sitting. Have you noticed too the garbage they put on kids menus? Like you go to a decent restaurant and in attempts to order smaller, view the kids menu. Unless you want a grilled cheese or hot dog, forget it. Okay. that's more than 2 cents...

[GLC1968]

The worst part about all this is that 90% (or greater) of the US population LOVES that they get huge portions. "Oh, think of the value I'm getting"...not even questioning WHY these food places can afford to give you huge portions. It's because the food is so damn cheap to make. That's what industrializing the food chain, feed lots and HFCS has done for us. Food is so cheap that we've gotten used to huge portions and now expect it. It's sad really.

Though, I do admit that I like the free refill feature on soda machines. I only drink diet (and only when eating out as a 'treat')...but I'm a thirsty person, so I am happy to see unlimited liquids at my disposal. :o

[7rider]

What do you guys do about the huge portions that we are served at food establishments?

On those rare occasions when we get ice cream, I try to order "child size" cones as a matter of course. I figure, ice cream is a treat....I don't want to blow a whole day's worth of calories on it! :eek: (and no, I am by no means an obsessive calorie counter)

To me, large portions at restaurants are just lunch the next day.....

[shootingstar]

The worst part about all this is that 90% (or greater) of the US population LOVES that they get huge portions. "Oh, think of the value I'm getting"...not even questioning WHY these food places can afford to give you huge portions. It's because the food is so damn cheap to make. That's what industrializing the food chain, feed lots and HFCS has done for us. Food is so cheap that we've gotten used to huge portions and now expect it. It's sad really.

Though, I do admit that I like the free refill feature on soda machines. I only drink diet (and only when eating out as a 'treat')...but I'm a thirsty person, so I am happy to see unlimited liquids at my disposal. :o

Supersizing of food is highly noticeable whenever we travel to the U.S. When my partner when cycling with another guy across 1/2 of the length of the U.S., a few years ago, they were both shocked to be in a place somewhere in the northern Midwest (Idaho or Montana) where 90% of the diners were significantly obese.

Biclista, the large ice cream portions at the chain, Cold Stone Creamery, just floors us whenever we go to Seattle. In Vancouver, BC you would pay the same price but get approx. 50-70% of the Seattle ice cream portions...of course, we tend to go for gelato here, which isn't as creamy but stronger in flavour.

If I allow myself to eat supersized meal without planning for it in advance, then I do adjust my next meal to smaller size accordingly.. or have nothing. Not a good thing, but the tummy is still stretched hrs. later.

Unfortunately my love of coffee is such that I often do have a "tall" size if going to Starbuck's. No sugar, please. And no lattes from there....better elsewhere to get a latte at a cheaper price and without the syrup injections, etc.

Do I ask for a smaller size? I must admit no. But will ask server in advance on approx. serving size if the dish looks abit expensive/rich in taste/calories, etc. If it's seafood/veggies and not deep fried, I will eat alot of it. But then I just order 1 dish if it ends up big, with a juice or coffee, no appetizer nor dessert.

In the Greater Vancouver area there are some great Chinese restaurants (where portions in Chinese restaurants, do look supersized no matter which country you are in :o but dish is meant to be shared) , but I have resigned myself if I'm just going out to a Chinese restaurant with my dearie, I aim for a medium sized soup broth with noodles, veggies, sometimes meat, etc. with some dim sum on the side.

It's a tough one for me, because there are some fantastic restaurant (authentic) Chinese dishes that I would love to have (and Vancouver is rated top by Chinese-North Americans for authentic, good tasting food)...but I'm not keen on microwaving leftover stir-fried food the next day. So I always welcome going with a crowd of people to share the goodies at such establishments.

[shootingstar]

Have been checking out Portland's offerings for brunch, breakfast since we are heading down this weekend.

Supersize lunches here:
http://www.kennyandzukes.com/pics/ 1 of their multistacked, meat sandwich choices, would last me for 2-3 meals.

[Grog]

Have been checking out Portland's offerings for brunch, breakfast since we are heading down this weekend.


Off topic, can't resist: try Bijou Cafe at 132 SW 3rd avenue. One of the best simple breakfast around, I think, especially if you like eggs. Their eggs are so tasty!

[papaver]

Have been checking out Portland's offerings for brunch, breakfast since we are heading down this weekend.

Supersize lunches here:
http://www.kennyandzukes.com/pics/ 1 of their multistacked, meat sandwich choices, would last me for 2-3 meals.
this is a real stomach turner for me...
http://www.cheesebuerger.de/images/midi/ekelig/a014.gif

[tulip]

I saw seriously obese people, and alot of them, in rural Canada. I was pretty stunned...I guess it's a North American thing (I can't speak for Mexico, though), not just the US. I've never been to the rural midwest US, though, just the northeast, mid-atlantic, southeast, and southwest (lots of tall skinny cowboys).

[GLC1968]

I know that American's are generally more overweight that in most countries, but I routinely observed some oddities when we lived in FL. We had free anual passes to Busch Gardens (a huge amusement park with rides and live animals for those unfamiliar with it) and we also often made the trip to Disney and Universal Studios for the weekend getaway.

Every single time we went, I was surprised by the sheer overweightness (is that a word?) and lack of fitness of the other patrons. All of them, it seemed...and kids too. And these weren't just people who were big but possibly fit/athletic...these were people who were often wheezing just standing in line. But the part that blew my mind the most? They weren't always Americans. Often times, they were visiting on vacation from some other country (as evidenced by their language or clothing). Maybe it speaks to the type of people who plan vacations around amusement parks, but to me, it seems like while the poorest people on this planet are starving, the weathiest are getting fatter. :(

[BikeDutchess]

On those rare occasions when we get ice cream, I try to order "child size" cones as a matter of course.

I tried to order a child size cone once and they refused to sell it to me because I was an adult... :( :eek:

[smilingcat]

SUPERSIZE ME!!!

Its not just in the restaurants anymore!!

Take a Joy of Cooking from the '50s look up the recipe and see how many serving it has. Take the latest edition of Joy of Cooking and look up the same recipe. It now serves 4 instead of 6 or 8 from the older edition. Ingredient size hasn't changed just the serving size. that's what I read recently.

My personal experience. I have a Betty Crocker Cookie book from 1962?? Brownie recipe says it'll make 40 pieces. Fat chance. It only makes about a dozen. And their chaux pastry, it says it will make about 30 cream puffs. I'm lucky to get a dozen.

As for restaurants. We take our tupper ware with us. eat what we want and rest goes into our tupper ware for later. We normally can get 2-1/2 meals out of single serving. We noticed when we ask for doggie bag it, the restaurant will throw away about a half so they can put it into a smaller container. (containers cost the restaurant anywhere from 20 cents to 60 cents) We paid for it, WE GONNA TAKE IT HOME!!! BE ECO-FRIENDLY WE SAY!!! Who cares if others think we are crazy. If we all do it, it becomes the norm. Take your tupper ware and bring it home!!

[OakLeaf]

while the poorest people on this planet are starving, the weathiest are getting fatter. :(

It's more like the poorest are starving, the next poorest are getting obese, and only the relatively wealthy are fit and healthy.

As GLC posted, most of the issue in developed nations has to do with agriculture subsidies, cash cropping, HFCS and the like. A large portion of vegetables at the grocery store has maybe 2-300 calories and costs as much as an entire meal at McD's. So the family gets frozen or canned vegies, or none at all.

Then, many of the poor work two or three jobs just to survive. (And those on food stamps are required to work them off at sub-minimum wage, thanks to the welfare repeal of the 1990s.) They come home from work exhausted, and spending even an hour on food prep (which doesn't sound like much to most of us) is just too much. There's no room in their TIME budget for visiting farmers' markets even when they are in season locally, especially with the limited hours that most markets run. So they buy processed foods. Cheap, quick, deadly calories.

[Biciclista]

Oakleaf, you're right. In India the middle class is suffering from diabetes problems while the poor are starving.
In our country; no one starves, our poor are suffering from an epidemic of diabetes.

[Zen]

maybe 2-300 calories and costs as much as an entire meal at McD's. So the family gets frozen or canned vegies, or none at all.



You have to buy seasonally and shop the specials. I got a bunch of broccoli yesterday for a dollar and today I'm going back for collards at the same price :)

[Eden]

I personally think the idea that buying healthy is more expensive is a myth..... granted there are places where the supply of veggies is dismal to non-existent, but that's a different problem.

You just have to pick and choose your veggies carefully - Cabbage, sweet potatoes, carrots, greens - yes! healthy, cheap, plentiful and filling. Just avoid the "specialty veggies" unless they are on sale and it really not very expensive at all. If you cut a lot of meat from your diet, it gets even cheaper - meat is super expensive, beans and tofu not at all - even canned beans are cheap, cheap, cheap compared to meat. When you think about how little you get with a freezer meal - there's no comparison to what is less expensive...

[papaver]

I personally think the idea that buying healthy is more expensive is a myth..... granted there are places where the supply of veggies is dismal to non-existent, but that's a different problem.

You just have to pick and choose your veggies carefully - Cabbage, sweet potatoes, carrots, greens - yes! healthy, cheap, plentiful and filling. Just avoid the "specialty veggies" unless they are on sale and it really not very expensive at all. If you cut a lot of meat from your diet, it gets even cheaper - meat is super expensive, beans and tofu not at all - even canned beans are cheap, cheap, cheap compared to meat. When you think about how little you get with a freezer meal - there's no comparison to what is less expensive...

You know what the problem with veggies is? You have to clean and cook them. For a lot of people it's a waste of time. It's easier to open a pack and throw the content it in a frying pan... Second problem, young kids are not so keen on veggies, so the parents aren't even bothered to give them vegetables...

It has a lot to do with lazyness...

[gilly]

11 years ago I went to SF on business. When the girls collected me from the airport they took me to dinner. They recommended and so I ordered a burger, I couldn't believe the size! I think I ate around a 1/4 of the burger and not much of anything else on the plate - two weeks later the took me to the same place, I ate 3/4 of the burger !! I decided it was very definitely time to go home :D

During my stay there I was taken to lunch and dinner a lot! I was impressed by the fact that you could order one meal and two plates, and was really impressed by the fact that almost every meal I went to with colleagues, one of them would ask for the leftovers to be wrapped to take home - unheard of here.

All in all, no matter what the restaurant serve, it's personal choice in the end, as to how much of it you eat :)

[shootingstar]

You know what the problem with veggies is? You have to clean and cook them. For a lot of people it's a waste of time. It's easier to open a pack and throw the content it in a frying pan... Second problem, young kids are not so keen on veggies, so the parents aren't even bothered to give them vegetables...

It has a lot to do with lazyness...

Methinks this is part of the problem, is taking time to clean and cut veggies instead of just precut veggies (but better than no veggies) and fast food options. It does require considerable time and patience for any parent to encourage their children to eat veggies in the beginning. But once used it, they will eat them without thinking nor commenting with dislike, etc.

I read somewhere one shouldn't take their children grocery shopping because they will ask for unhealthy stuff, etc. When they are very young, it's probably not great (though not impossible).

But I disagree...this is how I learned about pricing, choosing veggies, fruits and meats at the store, from my mother, when I accompanied her ..more often to carry the groceries or pull buggy cart behind because we didn't have a car the whole of my teen years. Granted, children must be initially disciplined at the beginning, to even begin to take them shopping maybe after age 7-8 yrs.

of course from a good nutrition standpoint, my mother had good approaches/choices to pass on to kiddies. Not all parents are like this.

No, we were not vegetarian. Just...poor. The thought of buying fast food or alot of processed food was something not considered much at all, because of lack of income. yea, sure the processed food we had as kids were: Cheez Whiz, cheese slices, baloney, sliced ham, wieners and dried pasta.

It also MIGHT make a difference on home diet, if a family member worked in a restaurant. Which my father did for his whole working life. Yes, he would comment about reused oil for deep frying, amount of oil for frying, etc. It certainly influenced how much he wanted healthier food at home.

So I also agree with Eden, that being poor, can still mean eating healthy, but the onus lies on the home food cooks to make an effort to prepare food properly, think of/find recipes that are healthier. Latter also takes time and experimentation,..which some people don't want to but some people seem to lack..imagination..and risk in their cooking styles.

[wildhawk]

I have spent most of my life obsessing about my weight/diet. When I started biking, I started thinking about food as fuel. And then with the wakeup call regarding my heart/cholesterol and having two stents put in, I got very serious about it. DH and are eat mostly organic, heart healthy recipes and it really is inexpensive to cook healthier alternatives once you get the hang of it. We have saved a lot not eating out - we go to one locally owned restaurant and they cook our meal to our specifications - we look forward to our once-a-week eatout at our favorite place! The rest of the week I cook our meals - that way I can control what and how much we eat and keep the food healthy. I still have a long way to go to get to my ideal weight, but I feel 100% better!

[MomOnBike]

As for teaching your children to eat the veggies, somehow I managed. Having an enormous garden helped. I told the girls that they could have anything at anytime from the garden, so they helped themselves. I did, of course, point out which parts to eat, and what, like tomato leaves, are bad for them, but other than that they had free rein.

As a result of this, my (then) 3 year old asked if we could get cauliflower plants for the garden because "I like cauliflower every now and then."

The other result of this policy is that I never managed to serve peas at the table. We (I was not entirely blameless here, either) just ate them standing in the garden.

All that aside, fresh veggies take TIME, something that a person working multiple jobs just does not have. I do wish it were easier to eat well.

[papaver]

I'm longing for my vegetable garden... hmmm... as from next week, I can start planting stuf... for the very first time in my new garden... yahoo!

[Crankin]

I didn't eat fresh veggies until I was in my 20's... Not that my mom didn't serve them, but the ones I could eat without gagging were rare. My older son, as an adult finally eats salads and a lot of veggies, but as a kid, he actually would puke if he tried to swallow a vegetable. I tried hiding them in other foods, but that didn't work. I quit worrying about it, since he ate fruit. It took some vegetarian friends to introduce him to new things.
Huge ice cream scoops are a tradition in New England, particularly at local farm stand ice cream places. This is not a new phenomena. I always order a kiddie size, on the rare occasions I eat regular ice cream. Usually I go for soft serve, made with skim milk, kiddie size.

[Selkie]

Just my opinion, but one does not have to clear off one's plate. The solution is to eat what you want and then, either ask for a doggy bag or let them toss out the rest.

People have to be responsible for taking care of themselves. I've been part of the working poor - worked retail management, long hours that precluded cooking "healthy" meals, on a tight food budget, etc. However, I didn't eat a bunch of junk food.

[smilingcat]

I read somewhere too that we are predisposed to eating certain food. Study of children who were adopted out and comparing the adopted child's eating preference with their sisters and brothers in their new home. Adopted child's eating habit did not necessarily match with those in his new family. The family may prefer lots of junk food and sweets and the adopted child may prefer fruits and vegetables.

Unfortunately, I wouldn't have the vaguest idea of how to dig up that article.

Things I hate list are much shorter than things I like:

hate thousand year old egg (chinese), natto (fermented soy beans Japanese), stinky, stinky cheese from France, menudo (mexican), big hunk of steak and potato (too heavy American), survival food as in C-ration, K-ration, MREs...

off to fix up my veg. garden out front.

[redrhodie]

I

Things I hate list are much shorter than things I like:

hate thousand year old egg (chinese), natto (fermented soy beans Japanese), stinky, stinky cheese from France, menudo (mexican), big hunk of steak and potato (too heavy American), survival food as in C-ration, K-ration, MREs...


I'm with you on Menudo...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Menudo_2007.jpg

Not my favorite boy band :D ;)

I have to admit, I don't know about the other menudo. I'll have to google it.

edit-- ick, tripe. I'm a veggie, so that doesn't help the issue.

[Biciclista]

Just my opinion, but one does not have to clear off one's plate. The solution is to eat what you want and then, either ask for a doggy bag or let them toss out the rest.

People have to be responsible for taking care of themselves. I've been part of the working poor - worked retail management, long hours that precluded cooking "healthy" meals, on a tight food budget, etc. However, I didn't eat a bunch of junk food.

Of course you don't have to clear off one's plate. But on a planet with limited resources, with babies and people starving all over the place, and habitat being destroyed to grow food for us, the thought of millions of americans throwing good food away kind of makes me sick. Best to not put it on the plate in the first place.

[jobob]

Just my opinion, but one does not have to clear off one's plate. The solution is to eat what you want and then, either ask for a doggy bag or let them toss out the rest.

People have to be responsible for taking care of themselves.

Perfect ... +1

[Crankin]

Agreed! When I was a poor, young teacher, I still ate healthily. Of course, I had knowledge of healthy eating, time to prepare food, and parents who lived nearby to supplement my cooking with their home cooked meals.
I ate very little meat, bought things in bulk and froze them, and joined the food co-op. I even entertained, though I remember serving people veggie lasagna and eating sitting on the floor of my studio apartment. This was also during the time I lost 25 pounds, which had accumulated from too many happy hours and lack of exercise when I first started working. Thankfully, those habits stuck, because I never gained it back, except for when I was pregnant.

[Trek420]

You know what the problem with veggies is? You have to clean and cook them. For a lot of people it's a waste of time. It's easier to open a pack and throw the content it in a frying pan...

What? Besides being fun to do (I <3 to prep vegies) opening and disposing of all the packaging takes me longer than almost any prep. Give me a French knife and a cutting board and I'll make salsa almost as fast as you can open the jar:D

Have you ever been given the hairy eye-ball by the waitstaff for sharing a dessert after a meal? The arched eyebrow of:
"we'll split the cheesecake" :)
"we'll bring you two cheesecakes" :)
"no, no, just bring two plates, we'll fight it out who gets the last bite" :p
"but don't you both want ..." :o
"do we look like we want two desserts" :rolleyes:
"well no but most people" :o
"do we look like we neeeeeeed to cut back on dessert" :rolleyes:
"well no, it's just ..." :(

[Selkie]

Of course you don't have to clear off one's plate. But on a planet with limited resources, with babies and people starving all over the place, and habitat being destroyed to grow food for us, the thought of millions of americans throwing good food away kind of makes me sick. Best to not put it on the plate in the first place.

Give your doggy bag to a homeless person or just don't eat out.

[Biciclista]

Give your doggy bag to a homeless person or just don't eat out.

you clearly don't get it, do you. It's not about me. I have an efficient system (I take doggy bags) for meals. I'm talking about the revolting over consumption happening in this country. Me giving a doggy bag to a homeless person isn't going to change the way we waste and consume.

[Trek420]

you clearly don't get it, do you. It's not about me. I have an efficient system (I take doggy bags) for meals. I'm talking about the revolting over consumption happening in this country. Me giving a doggy bag to a homeless person isn't going to change the way we waste and consume.

I get it. I've always "got it". I was one of a group of kids who founded what was probably the first recycling center in Somoma county when I was in Jr. High and I'm 53. Do the math ;) :rolleyes: I've always got it that there is no "away" :rolleyes:. But what is going to change it?

How do you get the message out that small is good? Is it enough to talk diet and portion control or greener choices? Is it enough that lots of us are living simply and well and looking fabulous when you have corporations such as fast food running ads making it seem that they are the friend of the poor and harried busy people with mega portions for less.

The perfect heirloom tomato or the local gelato shop doesn't have a budget for a Superbowl ad. So how do you get the message out?

[Softie]

It is really sad that every meal served needs to be huge. Also, I personally think the ingredients in most of them are designed to prompt you to eat and crave even more, not feel better. Now days, healthy food is considered specialty food, and supposedly healthy alternatives at quick easy restaurants include things like salads with half your daily calorie intake! When it comes to a lot of whole grains and items without sugar or chemicals added, I find it's way more expensive for less processed and artificial foods, than a box of the usual unhealthy mainstream choice (e.g. a whole grain cereal with nuts and very little added sugar).

It's a pretty shocking reflection about the food views in our societies that, healthy foods, foods with reasonable fat or calorie content, reduced portion, or low sodium, is specialty food, light sized, diet food, or viewed as for people who already have diabeties/heart disease/obeasity/etc! :eek:

[crazycanuck]

One can always make a full meal & freeze the other half...oooo genius :rolleyes:

Ian remembered something about a meal we asked for when we were in Canada or the US.. He just wanted a ham sandwich. Period. Do you think we could get it through to the servers etc that we didn't want chips or salad with it? Also, he didn't want butter etc on the sandwich...confused the poor folks..

I'm still shocked at the portion sizes in the US..Then again, we only eat out at our favourite Japenese place & wouldn't have a clue about the portion sizes elsewhere.

When we were younger we had to eat our veggies. Period. I remember not being allowed to drink more than one glass of milk at the table & having a timer because we'd just fiddle faddle around ignoring the food. I still say blech to brussel sprouts. UGH...

[Selkie]

you clearly don't get it, do you. It's not about me. I have an efficient system (I take doggy bags) for meals. I'm talking about the revolting over consumption happening in this country. Me giving a doggy bag to a homeless person isn't going to change the way we waste and consume.

Don't treat me like I'm stupid, Mimi. I don't appreciate your comment. Don't you think we can agree to disagree about this?

While I agree with you about over consumption, I believe that change starts with oneself and greed/over-consumption is not limited to the US (example, China's oil consumption & pollution). Griping about it isn't going to solve anything.

I try not to judge others or their choices, opinions, etc.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I think everyone basically agrees about this issue of over-consumption and waste. We all have slightly different takes on the solutions.
There is no need for us to get testy with each other. Maybe our wording sounds harsher than we intend it sometimes. In the end, we're pretty much on the same team, so hopefully we can let the arguing part just drop and move forward? :)

Personally, I see it both ways- I don't like that restaurants serve such big wasteful portions and I wish they'd cut it out/on the other hand I do enjoy having a second meal out of it the next day- like I'm getting two for one. But I think portions are just too damned big overall. Obesity is a real problem, especially for young people getting trained to eat gross amounts of high calorie/fat food.

[Susan Otcenas]

In my mid-twenties, I lived in Japan for 2 years. When I returned to the US, one of the things that astonished me was how GIGANTIC portion sizes in US restaurants were/are, compared to what they are in Japan. Food comes on ginormous platters. Properly sized dinner plates seem to have gone the way of the dodo.

As a child, I was not permitted to leave the dinner table until I ate what was served to me. (Of course, portions were reasonable child-sized amounts. The idea was that I couldn't get out of eating my veggies.) But one of the consequences of that is that I feel this huge sense of guilt about leaving uneaten food on my plate. (I can still hear my father giving me the "there are starving children in Africa" lecture while I stared at some vegetable I should have been grateful to have on my plate.)

I think many of us were raised this way, and that's one reason that as the portion sizes have grown larger, we've all just continued to tuck into it until the plate is clean.

No wonder so many of us are overweight!

I abhor wasting food. I also abhorred being overweight. So now I split my meal into 2 portions as soon as it arrives at the table (I request a "to go" box be delivered along with the meal.) I eat the leftovers as another meal the next day.

Unfortunately, many many people do not get to go boxes for the extra food, and the result is that an incredible amount of food (along with all the resources and energy required to product it) is pitched in the trash. It really is a tragedy.

Susan

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Food comes on ginormous platters. Properly sized dinner plates seem to have gone the way of the dodo.

Dinner plates are the new saucers. :D :(

[Biciclista]

and tea cups are bigger than the cereal bowls I ate out of as a child!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

and tea cups are bigger than the cereal bowls I ate out of as a child!

I know mine sure is! (but at least I drink tea out it, not milk shakes) :D

[Pax]

Susan - my father spent most of my childhood in SE Asia and saw those starving children first hand, so I know what you mean about never being permitted to leave food on your plate.

Like many here I abhor wasting food when so many on earth go without. My SO and I are trying to get in the habit of sharing meals in restaurants, ordering a single entree and asking for a separate plate. Some places will charge us a "plate fee" and I can understand their position...but what they really need to do is make the portions smaller in the first place.

If I understand the stats correctly, Americans eat out much more than most other countries, seems like the restaurants could do a big service in stopping obesity by sub sizing instead of super sizing.

[Biciclista]

It was a happy day for me the day I discovered that I was allowed to eat the "senior meals" at some restaurants even when I wasn't a senior.

[OakLeaf]

My SO and I are trying to get in the habit of sharing meals in restaurants, ordering a single entree and asking for a separate plate. Some places will charge us a "plate fee" and I can understand their position...but what they really need to do is make the portions smaller in the first place.

If it's just me and my SO, we don't even ask for an extra plate. We're not shy about sticking our forks into the same piece of food.

If it was me and a friend OTOH, I probably would. ;)

[papaver]

yesterday we went with family to an 'all you can eat' grill restaurant. It's like people loose their self control on such occasions. :eek:

[OakLeaf]

yesterday we went with family to an 'all you can eat' grill restaurant. It's like people loose their self control on such occasions. :eek:

It's true, but they're actually one of my favorite places to eat because I can have four or five or six different kinds of minimally seasoned cooked vegetables and a small serving of fish! Try getting that at a "real" restaurant.

Not that I can ever resist dessert of course. :rolleyes:

[Veronica]

"there are starving children in Africa"
Susan

I was the smart alec kid who said, "Fine, box up that liver and ship it to them." It never did get me out of eating the liver. :rolleyes:

Veronica

[Susan Otcenas]

I was the smart alec kid who said, "Fine, box up that liver and ship it to them." It never did get me out of eating the liver. :rolleyes:

Veronica

Yeah, didn't work in my house either. ;)

[reddDesign]

In my mid-twenties, I lived in Japan for 2 years. When I returned to the US, one of the things that astonished me was how GIGANTIC portion sizes in US restaurants were/are, compared to what they are in Japan. Food comes on ginormous platters. Properly sized dinner plates seem to have gone the way of the dodo.

As a child, I was not permitted to leave the dinner table until I ate what was served to me. (Of course, portions were reasonable child-sized amounts. The idea was that I couldn't get out of eating my veggies.) But one of the consequences of that is that I feel this huge sense of guilt about leaving uneaten food on my plate. (I can still hear my father giving me the "there are starving children in Africa" lecture while I stared at some vegetable I should have been grateful to have on my plate.)

I think many of us were raised this way, and that's one reason that as the portion sizes have grown larger, we've all just continued to tuck into it until the plate is clean.

No wonder so many of us are overweight!

I abhor wasting food. I also abhorred being overweight. So now I split my meal into 2 portions as soon as it arrives at the table (I request a "to go" box be delivered along with the meal.) I eat the leftovers as another meal the next day.

Unfortunately, many many people do not get to go boxes for the extra food, and the result is that an incredible amount of food (along with all the resources and energy required to product it) is pitched in the trash. It really is a tragedy.

Susan

I am the exact same...well...without the living in Japan part. I remember my parents always telling me to finish the plate, as if I had a bottomless stomach.

After having some issues last year with anxiety causing stomach sickness I now almost always bring home half for left overs. Considering I'm in college and jobless (for now) I consider the economical standpoint as well...two meals in one!

[smilingcat]

Take a tupper ware with you to the restaurant. If they want to make a rude comment, tell them that you are doing your part with reusable items to reduce waste paper etc.

Besides, if the restaurant is smart, they would encourage it because those boxes, buckets etc all cost money 20 cents to over a dollar a piece. And when your margin is slim like net profit is only around $2.00 per dinner, that one dollar box is a BIG expense.

And so what if other people look. We tell them flat out that we prefer re-usable containers over paper products, use it once and throw it away. If more of us do it, then it will become the norm. :D

[Pax]

Take a tupper ware with you to the restaurant. If they want to make a rude comment, tell them that you are doing your part with reusable items to reduce waste paper etc.

Besides, if the restaurant is smart, they would encourage it because those boxes, buckets etc all cost money 20 cents to over a dollar a piece. And when your margin is slim like net profit is only around $2.00 per dinner, that one dollar box is a BIG expense.

And so what if other people look. We tell them flat out that we prefer re-usable containers over paper products, use it once and throw it away. If more of us do it, then it will become the norm. :D
I talked this over with my SO last night and since we both really like different kinds of food, this option will allow us to stop sharing plates of food that the other may or may not like and order or favorites instead...and have leftovers!

[Zen]

I have been to buffets where people exhibited great engineering and balancing skills with the amount of food piled on to one plate. This is especially puzzling when it's all you can eat - you can go back!

'Splain that behavior :confused:

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I have been to buffets where people exhibited great engineering and balancing skills with the amount of food piled on to one plate. This is especially puzzling when it's all you can eat - you can go back!

'Splain that behavior :confused:

They don't want to have to get up and walk over to the table too many times.

[papaver]

I have been to buffets where people exhibited great engineering and balancing skills with the amount of food piled on to one plate. This is especially puzzling when it's all you can eat - you can go back!

'Splain that behavior :confused:

They are just afraid that everybody will do the same as they are so there won't be anything left when they go for a second or third time. :eek:

[Crankin]

I don't believe in the "clean your plate or you can't leave the table theory." I know it was popular when I was growing up, 50's, 60's, early 70's, but my parents never subscribed to it. I was a very picky eater until I was at least 12. I have a vivid memory of my mom forcing me to eat a banana and drink some horrible chocolate looking goop that was supposed to help my digestive system, which had basically broken down because I was living on bread and butter (Wonder Bread?) and milk. Boy, that really helped :eek:.
I had the same issue with my oldest son. He weighed 5.7 at birth and was consistently in the 10th percentile for weight. He pretty much lived on pbj for a few years, in addition to some breakfast foods. It became a real battle between us and was ruining our relationship. So, I essentially gave up. I served fairly healthy meals, but I never forced him to eat anything, including veggies, fruit, etc. He is still a skinny adult, at 118, 5' 6.5" inches, but he eats most foods. And, he's healthy.
If I have leftovers, I take them home. I don't bring Tupperware, but it's a good idea.

[Biciclista]

after forcing my first son, a 2 year old, to eat something he didn't want, he puked it back up.
Cured me completely. Never did it again. He'll eat anything now.:D

[Trek420]

I have been to buffets where people exhibited great engineering and balancing skills with the amount of food piled on to one plate. This is especially puzzling when it's all you can eat - you can go back!

'Splain that behavior :confused:

"No way, pile the plate with a mound of bacon bigger than my head, I'm not going back because that would involve walking" ;) :rolleyes:

I went on a cruise ship once (won the trip at work). Once was enough. Buffet behavior was gross.

[Veronica]

I just refuse to eat at buffets. People are gross. Who knows what they have touched, or coughed or sneezed on... or how long the food has been sitting out. Just nasty.

Veronica

[shootingstar]

I went on a cruise ship once (won the trip at work). Once was enough. Buffet behavior was gross.

This is what I would not want for this type of vacation nor could I be convinced for myself, that the physical activities organized on a cruise ship would help me burn off enough of the ship buffet meals.

It's pretty rare we go to buffet meal restaurants. I will go places like this if there is absolutely not much restaurant choice while cycling in rural areas which has happened on the odd occasion.

[Biciclista]

This is what I would not want for this type of vacation nor could I be convinced for myself, that the physical activities organized on a cruise ship would help me burn off enough of the ship buffet meals.

It's pretty rare we go to buffet meal restaurants. I will go places like this if there is absolutely not much restaurant choice while cycling in rural areas which has happened on the odd occasion.

Same here. Why would i want to be stuck on a boat?

Buffet restaurants here are awful. they attract clientele who like to overeat.

[Tuckervill]

I love cruises. You're not stuck on the boat. Usually it travels at night, and the next day you get off the boat and go on an excursion.

When we had a bigger family we enjoyed buffets because everyone could get what they want. The three of us who are left enjoy Chinese buffets, but I look around me and try to not eat like some of the people I see there.

Karen

[Zen]

I just refuse to eat at buffets. People are gross. Who knows what they have touched, or coughed or sneezed on... or how long the food has been sitting out. Just nasty.

Veronica

Well then you don't want to know what goes on in any restaurant kitchen.
But I digress.

[Veronica]

Well then you don't want to know what goes on in any restaurant kitchen.
But I digress.

You're right. I don't. That's why we seldom eat out. That and I'm a good cook. :D

Veronica

[Zen]

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb14/zencentury/DSCN2125-1.jpg

free happy hour paella. But it wasn't a buffet, it was dished out individually.and it was gooood

Still the thought crossed my mind that it was made from the leftovers from patrons dinner plates :eek:

[Pax]

I woke up at 4:00am and couldn't get back to sleep, so I went to Hulu and watched "Supersize Me". :eek: Holy CRAP, all I want for breakfast now is organic fruit!!

[Selkie]

after forcing my first son, a 2 year old, to eat something he didn't want, he puked it back up.
Cured me completely. Never did it again. He'll eat anything now.:D

Holy smokes, he showed didn't he? Do you remember what it was?

I hated beets as a child and I still cannot stand the sight of them. My mother used to make pickled eggs with beets -- the smell could take paint off of walls.